Statement by H.E. Ambassador Wang Min Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations At the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly On Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism

2012/10/09

Mr. Chairman,

At the outset, please allow me to congratulate you on your election as Chairman of the Sixth Committee of the current Session of the General Assembly. My congratulation also goes to other members of the bureau.

The Chinese Delegation associates itself with the statement made by H.E. Ambassador Talaibek KYDYROV, the Permanent Representative of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United Nations, on behalf of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Mr. Chairman,

The international community has made tremendous efforts in combating terrorism, but terrorism is far from having been eradicated. It still seriously threatens international peace and security and it has evolved in form and means. With regard to strengthening international counter-terrorism cooperation, I would like to stress several points.

First, unified standards should be upheld. Terrorist acts, regardless of their motives, wherever and by whomever they are committed, should be unequivocally opposed and addressed with firm measures. Double standards must be rejected in the effort to combat terrorism. Adopting inconsistent positions on the basis of one's own interest will serve only to shield or connive with terrorism, defeating the purpose of counter-terrorism and undermining international cooperation in that regard.

Secondly, the symptoms and the root causes of terrorism should be addressed simultaneously. Terrorism emanates from a complicated set of political, economic and social factors. Measures to combat it should focus on promoting development, eliminating polarization and social injustice, and appropriately resolving regional conflicts. Terrorism is often accompanied by the spread of separatism, extremism, violent hatred and intolerance. It should therefore be addressed in a holistic manner. Relying solely on military and law enforcement measures may very well prove to be counter-productive.

Thirdly, the United Nations should play a leading role in strengthening international cooperation on counter-terrorism. China supports the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy which serves as the guidelines for the international cooperation on counter-terrorism. China also supports the strict implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions as well as strengthening the coordination of the UN agencies of counter-terrorism. China welcomes the establishment of the United Nations Centre for Counter-Terrorism and hopes that it will provide important assistance to Member States in terms of capacity-building. At the same time, China highlights that the assistance on counter-terrorism should respect the willingness and choice of the states.

Fourthly, dialogue among different civilizations should be upheld. We oppose linking terrorism with certain States, Governments, ethnicities or religions. International community should further advocate dialogue and exchange among various civilizations, religions and ethnicities with the aim to promote mutual respect, mutual understanding and tolerance.

Fifthly, the principle of rule of law should be upheld. Counter-terrorism activities must comply with the UN Charter and the international law, respect the sovereignty of individual states, their independence and territorial integrity. The thirteen international Conventions on counter-terrorism under the framework of the UN provide the legal framework for the international cooperation on counter-terrorism. We call upon more countries to seriously consider acceding to the above-mentioned Conventions and strictly implementing treaty obligations.

China attaches great importance to the formulation of the United Nations Comprehensive Convention against Terrorism and actively supports the work of the UN in this respect. China hopes that all sides will take a cooperative and constructive approach to the drafting of the convention, promote to seek an appropriate solution to the outstanding issues and strive for an early adoption of the convention so as to improve the international legal system against terrorism.

Mr. Chairman,

The Chinese government attaches great importance to terrorism prevention. We strive to create a harmonious society and achieve social justice, equality, stability and unity through an integrated approach, including the promotion of economic development and the improvement of education. At the same time, the Chinese government has passed counter-terrorism legislation and enhanced counter-terrorism capacity building to effectively combat and punish terrorism.

China attaches great importance to and will continue to actively participate in the international cooperation on counter-terrorism under the framework of the UN. China steadily advances exchanges and cooperation for counter-terrorism with other parties in accordance with the principle of cooperation on an equal footing and mutual benefits. China has carried out consultations on counter-terrorism issues with Russia, the United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, Japan, the Republic of Korea and others, actively participated in the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum and paid particular attention to giving full play to the role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in promoting regional counter-terrorism cooperation and capacity building.

Mr. Chairman,

China is also a victim of terrorism. The “Eastern Turkestan” terrorists represented by the "Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement" have carried out a large number of terrorist activities both within and outside China in order to achieve their separatist objectives, thus seriously threatening China’s national security and regional peace and stability. The fight against the "Eastern Turkestan" terrorist forces is an important component part of the international counter terrorism campaign. China will continue take an active part in international counter-terrorism cooperation, and work with the international community to fight against terrorism in all its forms, including the “Eastern Turkestan” .